When discussing the future of philanthropy, Board Vice Chair Sarah Jolie likes to consider the word’s roots, philo and anthropo. “Philanthropy, when you break down the word, is the love of humanity, and the responsibility to care for each other.”
“I like the idea that philanthropy allows every single person to give and support the people out there who are taking action,” she continues. “I can help solve problems, but I know that when I donate money or time to somebody who is out there with a vision, we make a bigger impact.”
Both philanthropy and public service are a big part of Jolie’s family history. She was born in Park Ridge, and her father served as director of operations in Bolivia and Brazil for Catholic Relief Services. The family moved to Bolivia when she was just six months old. While attending kindergarten in Brazil, she says she spoke Spanish and Portuguese before she spoke English—something she regrets not continuing as she grew up. The family returned to the states in 1971 and lived in Chicago for a year before settling down in Oak Park, where she still resides.
Jolie is the owner and president of the Hensley Company, a customized fulfillment and mailing business, started by her grandfather in 1921. Hensley Company has been a certified Women Owned Business since 2017, and under her leadership it has been in the Inc. 5000 twice. She is a graduate of Grinnell College and is the recipient of the Grinnell Distinguished Alumni award.
While she’s lived in other communities, she has deep roots in Oak Park. The village has always struck Jolie for its “deep heart.”
“I think it’s just a great place to live. There are so many different examples and opportunities of care and action.
She remembers an early experience with philanthropy and service as a Girl Scout in Oak Park that had positive repercussions for the future.
“When I was in sixth grade at Beye School, my Girl Scout troop started a Thanksgiving and Christmas food basket project,” she recalls. “Years later, through many passionate leaders, it grew into Beyond Hunger. Our leader, Pat Funke, a visionary herself, helped us build the idea. We worked with our parents to deliver bags of food. We created a color coded 3×5 card system based on family size. At the 40th Anniversary of Beyond Hunger we learned that the card system is still used. The lesson I learned from that, and that I tell people — especially current Girl Scouts — is that every service organization started as an idea to help change something.”
Before joining the Foundation, Jolie volunteered with the Oak Park Community Chest/United Way on its Grants and Program committee and, later, as an officer. Because the Foundation managed the Chest’s endowment she became familiar with its work.
She joined the Foundation’s Grants & Programs Committee as a community member in 2018. In 2020, she was asked to serve on the Board. She still finds it slightly hard to believe. “Honestly, I tend to think of myself as a worker bee, a behind-the-scenes administrative assistant type! But, I really enjoy being a member of the Board. This passionate group of leaders has worked really hard these last few years to re-envision and reevaluate and be leaders in philanthropy. I have learned so much.”
Jolie is an advocate for many Foundation projects and programs, but is especially motivated by the mission behind them. “I am excited about our focus on racial equity and social justice and that we state it as our defining mission. Especially right now. We have to state our values by our actions but also by our voices too,” she says.
In 2021, her home on South East Avenue, which she co-owns with extended family, was lost to fire and had to be knocked down. During the rebuild, a fence was erected around the build site. The last thing they took down off the house was their Black Lives Matter and Pride flags. The first thing they put back up once the fence was in place were these same flags. Soon after, both flags were vandalized.
During the next 24 months, while the fence was in place, their replacement flags were vandalized more than 32 times. They replaced the flags each time. Security cameras showed that it was the same person. As frustrating and upsetting as the process was, there were two important lessons she took from it.
“I remind myself, and others, that racism and queerphobia is everywhere, even in Oak Park. And second, this was the work of one guy. But, guess what, when we look up and down our block, there are so many more flags flying than before he started this.” This episode is a tangible reminder to her of why the Foundation’s work is so important.
Jolie advocates for promoting the Foundation not only as a source of funding, but also expertise. “We’re trying to be more like partners in action. Yes, we make grants. But we also try to be community builders – connecting everyone to work together toward the change we need. Everyone has a role – donors, professionals, neighbors.”
As for the future, Jolie has hope. She points to the Foundation’s recent Community Needs Assessment. The disparity it illuminated became a “stop in our tracks moment” for her and the Foundation.
“We have to figure out how to make our general fund annual giving [and] grants of programs even more effective,” she says. “I want more people…volunteering with us. I want more people to give and be annual donors, because I think the more we build our annual fund with the kind of infrastructure connection we’re making with these nonprofits, the more real impact we have. With nonprofits working together and focused, we can change the reality for more equality and justice and evenness to the lived experience of people in our community.”